• PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
    1231·
    3 months ago

    Explanation: Decimation was a military punishment in the Roman Empire, used primarily in the days of the Republic, and even then only rarely. In the case of extreme cowardice or mutiny of an entire unit, the unit would be condemned to decimation - in which they would be split into groups of 10 men, and draw lots or straws. The one who drew the shortest straw was then condemned to be beaten to death by the other 9. This was seen, to the Romans, both as a punishment and a redemption, as by participating as executors, the surviving soldiers are punished, but also are resubmitting to military discipline and enforcing it in the unit.

    It was considered, even by Roman standards, to be a very harsh punishment, and only a handful of examples of the punishment are known to have been carried out, and each time it was considered a major and shocking event.

    • IsaEnglish
      30·
      3 months ago

      Interesting as well, as well … disgusting! I’m glad, that I wasn’t born into that era.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
        67·
        3 months ago

        The past is very often a brutal place! We live in deeply imperfect times in the modern day, and should not be satisfied with the flaws our societies have now, but it’s good to reflect every once in a while how far we’ve come.

        • IsaEnglish
          19·
          3 months ago

          True (even though some try with all their might to turn back to the “great old times”).

          • superkretEnglish
            6·
            3 months ago

            I have no idea what to do with this comment.

            • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
              6·
              3 months ago

              Order a chicken next time you go out to eat and pretend you’re King Richard the Lionheart about to be captured for eating too good while undercover.

              Chicken was a not-uncommon meat for commoners, but still expensive enough so that if some traveler (who SHOULD be saving their money carefully) comes into a local tavern which wasn’t planned on cooking any chickens today and says “Slaughter me, and me specifically, a chicken”, he’s clearly got money to spare.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
        16·
        3 months ago

        Funny enough, Decimus means something similar - ‘Tenth’. A lot of Roman praenomina (first names) were like that. Primus, Secundus, Tertius, Quartus, Quintus, Sextus, Septimus, Octavius, Nonus, Decimus. First through tenth! Not the most creative fellows, the Romans.

        In their defense, birth order rarely correlated with their name - Decimus could just as easily be a firstborn child, or the fifth son.

        • Successful_Try543English
          6·
          3 months ago

          In their defense, birth order rarely correlated with their name - Decimus could just as easily be a firstborn child, or the fifth son.

          This is something, I find more weird than defending. Or, in other words, TIL Romans were bad at counting.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
            6·
            3 months ago

            Well, at least you don’t have a Primus in every family that way!

            Or, in other words, TIL Romans were bad at counting.

            lmao, there are other examples of Roman weirdness with numbers. For most of the Republic period, the year was expressed not by a number, but by which two consuls were elected that year. Ab Urbe Condita (AUC, ‘From the founding of the city’) was much more rare. “Draw 25 or use numbers like normal human beings.”

            • Successful_Try543English
              3·
              3 months ago

              I know about the way Romans counted time. Isn’t also in the Bible, the year Jesus was born given as the year x of the reign of Augustus? Later, the pope who established the AD counting had lots of struggle summing up all the years of the emperors without counting some years twice.

              • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
                3·
                3 months ago

                Yep! In the Empire, there were often numerous consuls in a year instead of just two (being rotated out as a kind of ‘gift’ from the Emperor) so the norm for counting the year changed to how many years since the ruling Emperor came into power.

                Funny how some things we take for granted, like an unborked date system, are actually innovations, and far from timeless (ha).

                • Successful_Try543English
                  2·
                  3 months ago

                  TY, I didn’t know, there were still consules in the Roman Empire.
                  Yes, a continuous calendar system makes things a lot easier.

              • wanderer@lemmy.worldEnglish
                3·
                3 months ago

                Isn’t also in the Bible, the year Jesus was born given as the year x of the reign of Augustus?

                No, it isn’t. Descriptions of when he was born are vague and contradictory.

                • Successful_Try543English
                  3·
                  3 months ago

                  Indeed, e.g. the text of the Lukas Evangelium isn’t that precise as I’ve thought I remember it.

          • trolololol@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            3 months ago

            Of course they were. I give you proof they’re even worse at math. Tell me quick, how much is

            CMDIV + CCDDVIII

  • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
    22·
    3 months ago

    Remember, folks, if you’re trying to describe more than 10% of something being destroyed, don’t call it “decimation” because it’s worse than that.

  • GBU_28@lemm.eeEnglish
    8·
    3 months ago

    I always wondered why would happen if the dude appeared dead but managed to live over the following days

    • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
      11·
      3 months ago

      I imagine if he was a smart fellow, he would take the opportunity to quietly disappear and start a new life before anyone got the bright idea to cut his throat to make sure.

      Or perhaps it’d be regarded as a good omen. Romans were always fond of odd happenings being interpreted as some omen or another from the gods.

      • GBU_28@lemm.eeEnglish
        6·
        3 months ago

        I theorized the latter, and the legate would keep him in court, probably with a chicken on his head (due to massive concussion)

    • JayEchoRay@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      3 months ago

      I am sure there might have had happened, but I strongly doubt it with the commander watching over the proceedings to assert their displeasure. I am sure the rare times it happened, the commander probably did a bit of shanking himself.

      Would not be surprised if they “double-tapped” with the bodies being imspected and finished off with a unceremonious stab or throat cut to show mercy to a convulsing body, to then strip and dump it before moving on.

      Just my uneducated guesswork ¯_(ツ)_/¯